🔗 Share this article

David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.